dessler_ch4testing and selecting employees

7/28/2019 Dessler_ch4Testing and Selecting Employees

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Copyright 2009 Pearson Education, Inc.Publishing as Prentice Hall 4- 1

A Framework for Human Resource

Management,

5th ed.

Gary Dessler


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Testing and Selecting Employees

Ch 4


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When you finish studying this chapter,you should be able to:

Define basic testing concepts, including validityand reliability.

Discuss at least four basic types of personnel

tests.

Explain the pros and cons of background

investigations, reference checks, and

preemployment information services.

Explain the factors and problems that canundermine an interviews usefulness, and

techniques for eliminating them.


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Why Is Selection Important?

1. A managers performance alwaysdepends on subordinates

2. Its costly to recruit and hire employees

3. The legal implications of incompetentselection negligent hiring


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Reliability

Reliability- consistency of scores obtained by the same

person when retested with the identical tests

or with an equivalent form of a test- equivalent-form estimate

- internal comparison estimate


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Validity

Validity- a test should be job related

- performance on a test should be a valid

predictor of subsequent performance on thejob


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Thematic Apperception Test


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Validity

Criterion validity- those who do well on the test also do well on

the job, and those who do poorly on the test

do poorly on the job Content validity

- the test constitutes a fair sample of the

content of a job


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Ethical and Legal Questions in Testing

1. You must be able to prove that your testswere related to success or failure on the

job.

2. You must prove that your tests dontunfairly discriminate against either

minority or nonminority subgroups.


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Ethical and Legal Questions in Testing

Adverse impact- there is a significant discrepancy between

rates of rejection of members of the protected

groups and others


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Using Tests at Work


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Using Tests at Work

Outback is looking for employees who arehighly social, meticulous, sympathetic, and

adaptable.

They use a special personalityassessment test as part of a three-step

preemployment interview process.

The company compares the candidatestest results to the profile for Outback

Steakhouse employees.


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Tests of Cognitive Abilities

Intelligence tests (IQ tests)- tests of general intellectual abilities including

memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency, and

numeric ability

www.wonderlic.com
http://www.wonderlic.com/http://www.wonderlic.com/


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Tests of Motor and Physical Abilities

Measure finger dexterity, strength, manualdexterity, and reaction time


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Personality Tests

Emphasize the big five personalitydimensions as they apply to personnel

testing

Extroversion, Emotional stability,Agreeableness, Conscientiousness,

Openness to experience


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Personality Tests

Conscientiousness shows a consistentrelationship with all job performance

criteria

Extroversion is a valid predictor ofperformance for managers and sales

employees

Openness to experience and extroversionpredicted training proficiency for all

occupations


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Using Tests at Work

Interest inventoriescompare onesinterests with those of people in various

occupations

Achievement Tests are a measure of

what a person has learned


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Management Assessment Centers

Management assessment centers- Management candidates take tests and make

decisions in simulated situations

- involves 10 to 12 management candidatesperforming realistic management tasks underthe observation of expert assessors over 2 to3 days


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Management Assessment Centers (cont.)

The in-basket- the candidate is faced with an accumulation of

reports, memos, notes of incoming phone

calls, letters, and other materials


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The leaderless group discussion- a leaderless group is given a discussion

question and told to arrive at a group decision


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Individual presentations- a participants communication skills and

persuasiveness are evaluated by having the

person make an oral presentation on anassigned topic


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Testing on the Web

Financial firm CapitalOnes new onlinesystem eliminates the previous time-

consuming paper-and-pencil test process.

Applicants for call center jobs complete anonline application and online math and

biodata tests.

They also take an online role-playing callsimulation.


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Selection Interview

Selection interview- selection procedure designed to predict future

job performance on the basis of applicants

oral responses to oral inquiries


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Selection Interview

Non-structured- interviewer asks questions as they come to

mind

- no set format to follow


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Selection Interview

Structured- questions are specified in advance and the

responses may be rated for appropriateness

of content


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Types of Questions

Situational interviews- questions focus on the candidates ability to

project what his behavior would be in a given

situation

Behavioral interviews

- applicants asked how they behaved in the

past in some situation


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Behavioral Interviews

When Citizens Banking Corporation inFlint, Michigan, found that 31 of the 50

people in its call center quit in 1 year,

Cynthia Wilson, the centers head,switched to behavioral interviews.

Wilson says this makes it much harder to

fool the interviewer, and, indeed, only fourpeople left her center in the following year.


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Types of Questions

Sequential interview- several people interview the applicant in

sequence before a selection decision is made

Panel interview- candidate is interviewed simultaneously by a

group (or panel) of interviewers


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How Useful Are Interviews?

Structured interviews are generally morevalid

Can also help inexperienced interviewersto conduct useful interviews


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Common Interviewing Mistakes

Snap judgments Negative emphasis

Not knowing the job

Pressure to hire Candidate order (contrast) error

Influence of nonverbal behavior

Attractiveness Race

Ingratiation


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Guidelines for Conducting an Interview

Plan the Interview Start the interview with a clear picture of

the traits of an ideal candidate



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Guidelines for Conducting an Interview(cont.)

Structure the interview Assures greater consistency, but helps to

make sure that you are asking questions

that provide real insight into how theperson will perform on the job

Increase the Standardization of the


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Increase the Standardization of theInterview

Base questions on actual job duties Use job knowledge, situational, or

behaviorally oriented questions and

objective criteria Train interviewers

Increase the Standardization of the


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Increase the Standardization of theInterview

Use the same questions with allcandidates

Use rating scales to rate answers

Use multiple interviewers or panelinterviews

Take brief notes during the interview


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Establish rapport Ask questions

Make it clear youre going to conduct

reference checks Close the interview

Leave time to answer any questions from

the candidate


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Dos and Donts of Interview Questions

Dont ask questions that can be answeredyes or no

Dont put words in the applicants mouth or

telegraph the desired answer Dont interrogate the applicant as if the

person is a criminal, and dont be

patronizing, sarcastic, or inattentive



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Do s and Don ts of Interview Questions(cont.)

Dont monopolize the interview byrambling

Do ask open-ended questions

Do listen to the candidate to encouragehim or her to express thoughts fully



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Do draw out the applicants opinions andfeelings by repeating the persons lastcomment as a question

Do ask for examples

Do s and Don ts of Interview Questions(cont.)


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Reasons for Verifying Backgrounds

To verify the accuracy of factualinformation provided by the applicant

To uncover damaging background

information such as criminal records andsuspended drivers licenses


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Checking Social Networking Sites

More employers are checking candidatessocial networking sites postings

Recruiters found that 31% of applicantshad lied about their qualifications and 19%

had posted information about their drinking

or drug use

Making Reference Checks More


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Making Reference Checks MoreProductive

Use a structured form Use the references offered by the

applicant as merely a source for other

references Ask open-ended questions

Companies fielding requests for

references should ensure that onlyauthorized managers give them


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Honesty Testing

Polygraph tests Paper-and-pencil honesty tests

Graphology

Physical exams

Drug screening

C l i i h h I i i L


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Complying with the Immigration Law

Person does not have to be a U.S. citizen Employer should ask if candidate is

lawfully authorized to work in the United

States


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